My name is Júlia Gergošová, I am from II.D and I participated in this year’s English Olympiad school round.
The competition took place on November 18th, involving two parts: the written and the oral exam, with a separate category for native speakers. It tested our knowledge of the English language on an advanced level, as well as our ability to utilise these skills in practice.
Due to the health hazard that comes with mixing students of several classes with a pandemic raging around the globe, we moved to the online world, following last year’s example. As per instructions, we joined the call by 7.55 and our professors officially opened the school round at 8.00, after which we received an online exam that focused on our listening and reading comprehension as well as our understanding of the grammatical aspect of the language. Once we finished this test, we waited to receive the results that would determine which of us would go on to have a shot at the oral exam. This part tested our speaking abilities and vocabulary extensiveness as well as usage in the form of a role play and a description of a provided picture. The winners in both of these categories will represent our school at the next competition.
It was my third time at such competition, which comes with the expectation that things would, naturally, get easier. They really don’t. Of course, by assumption, most people who take part in the Olympiad have sufficient skill to pass with admirable results. But that doesn’t expel the mental strain on, dare I say, all of us. You start the day as prepared as one can be when one doesn’t truly know what to expect, determine the outcome with the knowledge you carry by the third task and finish the written exam already wondering about the next part. The oral exam, you think, is even worse! What if the topic doesn’t suit you? With very little time to formulate a coherent word-by-word answer, you sometimes end up saying the first thing your brain decides isn’t complete gibberish. By the end, you feel like the century’s greatest wordsmith, if only because it wasn’t a complete disaster, and your professor isn’t looking entirely aghast.
Frightening, isn’t it? The important thing to factor in after given this last tidbit of insight is that the English Olympiad is a whole lot of fun when you properly think about it and to never try it only because you’re scared is to miss out on what boils down to time well spent.
To conclude, I would like to thank all professors for a lovely time and excellent gifts, and congratulate all who participated, especially those who have experienced the English Olympiad for the first time and made it out with more gained than lost. On behalf of all of us, I hope, I wish the winners all the best at their next competition. We’ll be rooting for you from the sidelines.
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